general scowcroft was there, jim baker was there, totally--went for walks. i gave him the no-necktie rule. and it helped. it helped later on when we had some huge potential differences with france on domestic--i mean, on desert storm. >> guest: it made an inordinate entrance--difference. us-french relations are always complicated, but never after this meeting--never did the president go to francois mitterrand when he really needed something and get turned down. c-span: i know this is small, but you say that he didn't want anything to do with your boat, fidelity. >> guest: yeah. but that's not a small matter, as a matter of fact. however, we respected him. you see, this is how you build a relationship. the guy wants to chicken out, fine, you can understand that. c-span: what did you do with him while he was there? >> guest: we went for walks and... c-span: did he speak english? >> guest: no, very little. he spoke about the same amount of english as i speak french. i remember the last day i saw mitterrand in office. we stopped by... >> guest: mm-hmm. >> guest:

and the other would be jim baker. a very different kinds of individuals, but in terms of dealing with the problems and issues of the day, i think henry. and the thing that i was always -- that was remarkable about dr. kissinger, and he is still here. that is why i am saying all these nice things about him. when you think about the conditions he had to operate under. it is the only time in history we ever had a president resigned. under threat of impeachment. and dr. kissinger, secretary kissinger went through that process, manage the transition in the national security arena very credibly. remember, i remember the first thing gerry ford said after we knew nixon was going to resign was, he went in front of this house in alexandria and announced that secretary kissinger would continue in his current job. he did not say whether the rest of us had job. but henry was squared away. but to have managed affairs to the process and data as ably as he did with the difficult problems we faced as a nation at that point. end of the

jim baker, republican. good guy. congressman hamilton, good person, to come together and pennetta served on that panel. gates served on that panel and they came up with good ideas. i want to look at pakistan as part of it because if you can't be successful in pakistan you are not going to be successful in afghanistan. the administration opposes my bill. i can't get them to comment on it. now we're going to hopefully pass it in the senate but going to bring republicans and democrats. it's supported by crocker who is our ambassador in afghanistan. he supported it before he got appointed. so in fairness -- it's supported by jim dobbins. it's supported by a lot of people. the commandant of the marine corps. let's take it what i call fresh eyes on the target. let's take fresh eyes. if you had a health care problem you would want to get a second opinion, and i don't know the answer. i don't but i think there's people out there. let's let them look at it and see, is everything the president and the administration is doing a

the other would be jim baker. very different individuals, but in terms of dealing with the problems and issues of the day, the thing that i was always fighting remarkable about dr. henry kissinger, which is why i am saying all these nice things, when you think about the conditions he had to operate under. it is the only time in history that we had a president resigned under threat of impeachment, and secretary henry kissinger went through that whole process, managed the transition of the national security arena very incredible -- incredibly. i remember one of the first thing gerald ford said after we knew richard nixon was born to resign, he announced that secretary henry kissinger would continue in his current job. he did not say whether the rest of us had jobs, but henry was skirret -- henry was squared away. to manage the affairs during that process, and as ably as he did, the difficult problems that we faced at that point -- de end of the war in vietnam, the soviets, opening to china, and so forth -- that was

none ever excuse jim baker and not leak iing. we tried to avoid this kind of complex. i think we were successful. >> the best job you ever had? >> each one was different and unique. if i had to pick one that was read at the top of the list, working for ford at a very early age as chief of staff. after watergate. been vice-president of the united states. of the is where great jobs. >> -- all of those were great job spirit if i had to say one, i would say secretary of defense. because of the association with the military. i had the opportunity. we were able to do some remarkable things in terms of the rearranging our military forces. the opportunity to work closely with the men and women of the u.s. senior military leadership was a remarkable. >> when you look at the 2012 candidates, what is on our side? what gives you hope? what worries you. >> how is she doing? >> i might have asked that one. i have not endorsed anybody yet. they do not need my advice. there will be the opportunity for us to give them. they experience the ability for various candidates. this is what ev

the other would be jim baker.very different kinds of individuals, but in terms of dealing with the problems and issues of the day, i think henry, the thing i only found remarkable about doctor kissinger, he is still here, that is why i am saying, all these nice things -- you think about the conditions he had to operate under. it is the only time we had a president resigned under threat of impeachment. secretary kissinger went through that whole process, managed the transition in the national security arena very incredibly. i always remember the first thing ford said after we knew nixon was going to resign if he went out in front of his house and announced that secretary kissinger would continue in his job. he did not say about the rest of us. [laughter] to have managed affairs and done it as ably as he did, with the difficult problems we faced as a nation at that point and the war in vietnam and with the soviets and china and so forth, that was a remarkable set of accomplishments under the most difficult political

jim baker, republican. good guy. congressman hamilton, good person, to come together and pennetta served on that panel. gates served on that panel and they came up with good ideas. i want to look at pakistan as part of it because if you can't be successful in pakistan you are not going to be successful in afghanistan. the administration opposes my bill. i can't get them to comment on it. now we're going to hopefully pass it in the senate but going to bring republicans and democrats. it's supported by crocker who is our ambassador in afghanistan. he supported it before he got appointed. so in fairness -- it's supported by jim dobbins. it's supported by a lot of people. the commandant of the marine corps. let's take it what i call fresh eyes on the target. let's take fresh eyes. if you had a health care problem you would want to get a second opinion, and i don't know the answer. i don't but i think there's people out there. let's let them look at it and see, is everything the president and the administration is doing a